Gerrard Kaonga
A woman has taken to Reddit to explain her ‘humiliating and scary’ story that saw her and a friend deported from the US.
Donald Trump insisted he would take a very firm and strong stance on illegal immigration, and since returning to the White House, he seems to be standing by this.
However, tourists have spoken of horror stories they have now experienced from trying to enter the US lately.
A 19-year-old took to social media to explain how she and an 18-year-old friend were deported from the US as they attempted to backpack around the world.
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The two women were from Germany and were left utterly stunned with how they were treated for simply having rather loose travel plans.
The two travelers, identified as Charlotte Pohl and Maria Lepere arrived in Honolulu to begin their trip and planned to explore before travelling to California and Costa Rica according to German news outlet Ostee-Zeitung.
Wanting to keep things flexible, they hadn’t booked any accommodation for their five weeks stay in Hawaii and it was this lack of planning that raised the eyebrows of Customs and Border Protection.
Issuing a warning to other travelers in a now deleted Reddit post, Charlotte explained what happened.
She said: “We had booked only the first 2 nights in an Airbnb, just to be flexible with our plans, like we did in New Zealand and like many backpackcers do.
“We had the onward ticket to the next destination in Asia but didn’t book domestic flights in the U.S. for the same reason.”
The traveler also noted that one comment she made may have been the mistake that resulted in them being deported.
From Reddit (1/3) pic.twitter.com/cQzhIo4Xcq
— Priyamvada Gopal © (@PriyamvadaGopal) April 20, 2025
She continued: “They were asking us why we didn’t book more nights or domestic flights, what our plans were, how we can afford to travel and especially about work.
“We do sometimes small freelance jobs online (like translating or design stuff, for customers back in Germany and sometimes also Asia, not the US.
“We mentioned that, which was maybe the biggest mistake, it was also in the e-mail that they accessed.”
According to the US embassy and Consulates: “If you wish to work in the United States for a temporary period you will require a nonimmigrant work visa. You cannot work on a visitor or business visa, or under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).”
The two girls reportedly had an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which allows them to visit the US for a period of 90 days or less without the need for a visa, as long as its for a holiday or a business trip.
As a result, the pair were accused of potential illegal work intentions, handcuffed and sent to a deportation center.
After staying in less than ideal conditions, the pair were deported the following morning.
The experience was said to be humiliating and scary and came as a shock as the pair considered themselves to be tourists.
The pair are said to be ‘totally shaken’ from the ordeal and warned that other backpackers need to be careful if they intend to enter the US.